Grip oak



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05T. SNB'DBKOR.

GBIPGVAR. l No. 402,361. y Patented Apr.'30 1889..

N. ravens, mwuuwgmpner. wal-mgm. o. c.

i fTo @llink/0112, it may concern:

UNITED, STA-TES PATENT OFFICE.v

CHARLEsT. sNEDEKoR, or Nnw YORK, N. Y.

GRIP-CAR;

SP'ECIFICATIONv-forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,361, dated April 30, 1889. Application filed December' 19, 188s. sena Nomine?. (No model.)

Be it known that I, CHARLns T. SNEDEKoR, a citizen of the United States,.residing at New York, in the county of New York and VState of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in GripV and Brake Operating Devices for StreetlCars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it-appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relatesto an improved grip and brake mechanism for cable-railway cars;

. and it Aconsists in the peculiar construction,

combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafterdescribed, and definitely pointed out in the claims. Y

The object of my invention is to arrange and construct the car-controlling mechanism so that it may be worked from an elevated position, thereby adding to the capacity of the car and affording a greater range of vision for the gripman or manipulator than has been heretofore afforded. I attain this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the sevh eral views, and in which- Figure lis a side elevation of my improved car, partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is a view of a modified form.

In the drawings, A represents the car, and B the conduit containing a cable.

Thev car is of any desired form of construction necessary to the uses of citytransportation.

It is a well-known fact that as streetcars are now constructed the gripman or manipulator of the traction or power mechanism is placed in a position which greatly affects the convenience of passengers, and also occupies a considerable space which otherwise should be added to the capacity of the car. In many cases, especially where the operator occupies a positionin the center of the car, the capacity for passengers is diminished to the extent of six to ten, thereby causing a `considerable loss to the company, and, further, by the old forms the ingress and egress of passengers are more or less obstructed and are generally limn ited to one end of the car only. To overcome these objections and to, as above stated, ar-

range the operator or gripman inl a more c advantageous position is the principal feature and aim of my invention, and the means and arrangements whereby I accomplish this result I will now fully describe.

At the center of the top of a car is constructed a stall or compartment, as D, having capacity for the operator or gripman, and into which are extended or placed the long arms or ends of hand-levers E, for operating both the grip and brakes. These levers are pivoted at their lower ends to the frame, and

have semicircular racks or projections e sef cured to their forward edges near their lower ends, which are grooved to secure the operating-cord, which is secured to the lever proper yat the upper end of the racks.

e e' e2 represent curved rack-bars secured to the top of the car, in which work catches or paws, (not showm) operated by the hand- 4piece e3, to retain the levers in their adjusted positions. Au opening is made in the top of the car through which the cords pass over pulleys e4, secured at the respective ends of the opening to the top.

The mechanism interposed between the grip, which is designated at G, consists of a bell-crank lever, g, having a forked end secured on the under side of the car to a pendent arm, g', the'connections with the lever E being made by a suitable cord, chain, or rope, F, which extends along the top of the car and passes through suitable hollow posts or pillars, F at the corners, the turns orbends of the cords being made by passing them over suit-v able pulleys, II, or other mechanism` located, respectively, at the top and bottom of the car. The grip G is pivoted to a pendant, G',

which enters the conduit, and consists of two IOO front and rear portions of the car on its under side, having brake-shoes on their ends, and are connected by bars h and pivoted to the bottoln of the car, they being connected by a chain to the operating-cord.

I have shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings a modified form of operating mechanism, which consists of extending the connecting-cords down the sides of the cars instead of the ends. It is also apparent that vertical rods with suitable gearing may be employed in lieu of the above-described means. It will thus be seen that the essential feature and principle of my invention is in locating the operatinghandles at the top of the car and providing a stall or cab at this point for the operator or gripman.

In constructing my car in the manner described Iam enabled to effectually close the same on all sides, thus obviating the objections heretofore expressed in necessitating open cars in the winter season.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device can be made and substituted for those shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is.

l. The combination, with a moving cable of a street-railway system and a car, of brake and grip mechanism on the under side of the car, a compartment on the top of the car, and

levers in the compartment having connection with the mechanism below the car for controlling the movement of the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a car of a cable system of street-railways, having its interior arranged for the reception of passengers, of a cable-gripping device on the bottom of the car, a'nd mechanism located on the top of the car having connection with the gripping device for operating the same, substantially as described. v

3. In a street-car for cable roads, the combination, with the top, of a compartment centrally located thereon, operating-levers in the compartment, brake and grip mechanism below the car, and means secured to the levers and extending in opposite directions to the bottom of the bar for connecting the levers with the brake and grip mechanism, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a Streetcar for cable roads, of brake and grip .mechanism on the bottom thereof, levers on the top of the car having connection with the brake and lgrip mechanism, and tubes on the car through which the connecting means of the levers and brake and grip mechanism pass, substantially as described.

In `testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES T. SN EDEKOR. Witnesses:

L. S. BACON, I-I. D. FINCKEL. 

